Hunter's Moon
by GraySideofThings
Summary: When Sarah gets marked by an old villain, she race against time to save herself from the destiny that her mark will bring during the hunter's moon. Can she save herself?
1. Chapter 1

**Hunter's Moon by GraySideofThings**

**Rating- T**

**Disclaimer- I don't own anything.**

**A/N- I know that the black spot is a symbol of a traitor and that they are coming to kill you and stuff, but I liked the concept of the magic behind it.**

Hunter's Moon  
~O^O~

It was beautiful. The ballroom was covered in mirrors, reflecting the beauty over and over again, into a never ending ballroom. The chandeliers dipped dried wax and crystals and gave off light that couldn't possibly be made by electricity. A shadowy corner hid a small orchestra playing waltz music.

Sarah moved slowly through the dancers, looking for the presence pressing in her mind. This reminded her some much of the dream from a long time ago. The dancers, the mirror filled ballroom, and laughter of them. But something feels different this time.

She catches her reflection. Instead of a big puffy white ball gown, an elegant white strapless dress took its place. It was tight against her body until the hips, which it then flared out. Her dark hair was up in a bun with crystals embedded within, glinting in the light.

Sarah did a slight twirl. She had to admit, she liked this one slightly better. She looked and felt older. She felt like she belonged here.

"May I have this dance?" a voice asked her from behind.

Sarah turned around to see and man dressed in white holding his hand out to her. His face was half covered by a matching white mask.

"Sure," Sarah placed her hand into his. They are dancing, whirling around the floor. Each step is follows the song perfectly. Sarah's eyes closed as she enjoyed the dance. Sarah gets so caught up in the song; she doesn't even realize the swift change in partners.

"Are you enjoying yourself, Sarah?" A deep, velvety voice asked her.

Startled, Sarah opened her eyes to meet two mismatched ones. She took a step back instinctively, only to have his arm tighten around her.

"It would be impolite to leave during a dance," His eyes warned her not to defy him.

"Where is my other partner?" Sarah asked, keeping in step with the Goblin King.

"He decided to leave you in the middle of the dance," Sarah didn't believe him for a second. "I decided to save you from the embarrassment. Wasn't that gracious of me?"

"Extremely," Sarah bite out sarcastically. "But I believe it was wasted on me. You're no hero,"

Jareth's face frowned for a second before going back to the arrogant smirk. "Of course, always the villain."

Sarah opened her mouth to respond, but didn't get a chance as the song ended. Everyone stopped dancing and politely clapped for the musical in the corner of the ballroom.

Jareth released her and took her right hand into his gloved one. He raised it to his mouth, but paused inches from his mouth. His buttery soft leather clad thumb brushed over the top of her hand, examining it. A slight quirk of his mouth and her hand was flipped over. He bent over and pressed his lips to the center of her hand. A shock sprouted from the spot where he had kissed her, sending electricity throughout her arm. "Thank you for allowing me this dance."

Sarah quickly pulled her hand back, and Jareth let her. She looked down at her palm. In the center of her palm, a black spot sat exactly where his lips touched. Sarah's eyes widened, her mouth hung open in shock.

With one finger she touched it. She was surprised when she came away with a black inky substance on her finger. The black liquid started slowly running down her fingers. Confused, Sarah looked back to the black spot to find that it had grown. Black vines sprouted from the spot and continued to crawl across her palm.

In fear, Sarah rubbed it the spot, hoping it would go away. She only succeed on getting it all over her other hand. With a cry she tried to rub it off on her dress. It smeared on her pure white dress, leaving behind black ink that started growing rapidly, covering her whole torso in no time. The same was happening to her arms. They were both almost covered in the black liquid.

Sarah screamed and looked up at Jareth. "What have you done?" She cried.

Jareth had a smirk on his face, like a man whose plan was going perfectly. "I've marked you, Sarah."

"You bast-"Her angry words where cut off when the black substance had found her face and thrust itself into her mouth. The rest of her words were muffled.

"I'll see you on the hunter's moon, Precious. The hunt has begun," His mocking, laughing face was the last thing she saw before the black liquid reached her eyes.

~O^O~

Sarah awoke with a start, her heart racing and her whole body burning. Trying to regain her breath, she quickly turned on her bedside light and inspected herself. Thankfully none of the black liquid had followed her from the dream world. She could breathe easy now. It was just a dream. She flipped her right hand over and lost her breath all over again.

Staring her strait in the eye was the black spot in the exact spot where he had kissed her.

~O^O~

**Please tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So, this is second chapter. It took me forever. But now that EAA is over, I've had a chance to write. But, EAA Air Venture was awesome! Did you go? Why not? There were airplanes and bombs and airplanes and traffic and more airplanes! **

**Okay, enough about airplanes, so here's the story!**

Hunter's Moon

By GraySideofThings

Chapter 2

Sarah stared blankly at the coffee table in front of her. The glass top let her see straight through to the floor. When Sarah moved her head to the just right angle, it became a mirror, reflecting a weary woman. Her dark hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, showing off the dark shadows under her eyes that contrasted with paleness of her skin. Sarah hesitantly reached for the reflection, almost not recognizing herself.

"You look tired. Have you been sleeping well?" Sarah looked to see the curly haired blonde walking towards her with two teacups in her hands.

Sarah smiled and rubbed her face. "Not really. I had a nightmare last night."

"Drink this. It will make you feel better," The blonde handed her a teacup.

"Thanks, Marci," Sarah took a whiff and found it had a pleasant, relaxing aroma. One sip later, she found that the tea tasted pleasant too. "What is it?"

"Chamomile and mint; nice, isn't it?" Marci smiled. "Now, let's hear about that dream." She sat down across from Sarah.

"It was _that_ dream again," Sarah emphasized, looking over the rim of her teacup.

"The ballroom," Marci stated. Sarah nodded. Marci's brow furrowed. "But you've never lost sleep over a little dance before. What changed?"

Sarah shifted, uncomfortable with talking about her dream villain. She has never told Marci about the Goblin King and his Labyrinth; just the ever recurring ballroom dance. But Marci was right. Something had changed in the dreams. She had never danced with the King himself after the one time in the Labyrinth. It was always the white masked man. Why would the Goblin King jump in now, after so many years?

Sarah took a breath, mustered up all her courage and looked Marci in the eye. "There was a different man I danced with this time."

"He scares you?" Marci asked calmly.

"Yeah," Sarah muttered, staring into her tea.

"Sarah," Marci's voice prompted Sarah to look up. Marci looked straight into Sarah's eyes, begging Sarah to tell her. "What is it?"

"What can you tell me about the black spot?" Sarah blurted out.

"It was a mark that was sent to pronounce a verdict. It was mostly a pirate thing, yet there are mentions of it within different cultures," Marci rambled off and then paused. "Where is it, Sarah?"

Sarah almost yelled with joy. Marci was an English major with a heavy emphasis on folklore. Sarah knew she was the best person to come to with a problem dealing with mythical creatures. Marci wouldn't judge her either. She would understand.

Sarah held out her right palm. Marci took Sarah's hand gently into her own. She examined it in the light. "Sarah, you got this in a dream?" Marci's wide eyes meet Sarah's.

"Well, not necessarily, I'm mean…" Sarah trailed off as Marci dropped her hand and went to her bookshelf. Marci bright red fingernails were a startling contrast to the brown and black books her fingers were trailing over.

"Marci?" Sarah asked in a small voice.

"Sarah, to have something go from your dreams to reality takes a lot of magic," Marci's voice was muffled as she talked to the books instead of Sarah. "This is weird. I feel like I've read it somewhere before."

"Do you remember anything?" Sarah asked, hopeful for some sort of answer.

"It was some sort of European myth. It was a mark used for tracking," Marci turned towards Sarah with a thick book in her hands; flipping through pages quickly. She stopped for a second. "Wait, maybe it wasn't European," She spoke to herself.

"If it helps," Sarah stood up, "It was during the Hunter's Moon." She walked towards Marci.

Marci looked up and shook her head. "Not that I can remember," Marci watched as fear flashed across Sarah's face. Marci took a breath and smiled warmly. "Look, Sarah, I'm probably being paranoid. It's nothing but a black sharpie. I bet Toby did it as a joke. It will wash off in a couple days." Marci changed the subject. "Aren't you going up to your cousin's cabin in a few days?"

Sarah shook her head, trying to clear all the thoughts swirling around. Sarah smiled at Marci. "Yeah, in a two days. It's beautiful in the forest. You should go vacation up there. My cousins are coming up too; but not for a couple days. I have a couple days by myself."

Marci smiled and touched her arm. "Just what you need."

~O^O~

"Yes, Karen, I have everything I need for the cabin." Sarah assured the woman on the other end of the phone. Sarah listened to Karen silently as she rambled on. Sarah laughed at a statement. "I'm sure Toby would love it up there if he didn't always run off. I don't want to lose him in the forest."

Sarah turned towards the clock on her oven and was surprised. "Hey, Karen, I got to go. I've got a long drive ahead of me," Pause. "Yes, I love you too. Give my love to Daddy and Toby, won't you?" Sarah smiled. "Ok, bye. Yes, yes, I'll call once I get there. Ok, bye." Sarah hung up before Karen could try to get another word in.

Sarah slumped against the counter in her kitchen. It wasn't that she hated Karen, quite the opposite actually, but sometimes talking to her was exhausting. But Sarah told Karen the truth. She had to get driving if she wanted to get to the cabin before nightfall.

Sarah looked around her apartment to see if she forgot anything and reluctantly grabbed her key and locked up and left.

~O^O~

To say Sarah miscalculated her driving time would be an understatement. Sarah had sudden car problems on the way along with multiply bathroom and food stops. She had planned to be at the cabin by at least 9pm but now it was hinting at midnight.

'Baby ,baby, baby, oh,' The radio crooned. Sarah glared at it, willing it to change songs, but alas it didn't. Sarah had the urge to rub her eyes and let them close. She could feel her mind drifting off to dream land and forced herself to focus. She had to be close. She's been driving for way too long.

'I thought you'd always be mine, mine,' Sarah quickly reached to change the station. Why do they always play the bad music at night?

The male voice changed to a female's. 'You shout it loud, but I can't hear a word you say.' Sarah had the urge to throw her hands in the air. She just couldn't win with the radio. The techno music blasted through the speakers. Well, at least it was keeping her awake. 'I'm criticized, but all your bullets ricochet,' Sarah bobbed her head to the music, starting to feel the beat. Anything to stop the drowsiness trying to pull her under.

She finally tore her attention away from the radio to the back country road. She had to admit, it was creepy. A dark, foggy road surrounded by trees on either side. The only thing breaking the darkness was her headlights.

'You shoot me down, but I get up,' Sarah glanced at the radio, thinking the song could get annoying fast. She looked back up to the road, only to find a deer standing in the road right in the path of her car. Sarah slammed on the brakes, knowing she would not stop in time. She quickly turned the steering wheel to the side, hoping to avoid the deer and the trees. Before she knew it, her car squealed to a stop, just before hitting a tree.

Sarah sat there frozen, her hands still death griping the wheel and wide-eyed. The shock started to wear off slightly, she managed let go of the steering wheel. Sarah silently thanked her father for reminding her to get new brake pads. She would have been lost without them.

She remembered the deer and hopped out to check to see if it was okay. She quickly checked her front end that was mere inches from having some serious damage, but otherwise was okay. She shivered as the shock wore off, allowing her to feel how cold it was at night. She crawled into her small car, searching for the sweatshirt she had thrown in the backseat.

A noise, almost like a snort, alerted her to the deer might have been hit was still around somewhere nearby. Sarah tried to look out the back window, but all she could see was the fog creeping back, glowing an eerie red color, illuminated by her rear lights.

Looking, down, she quickly grabbed the dark green fabric peeking out from underneath her white pillow. She was happy to find it was her sweatshirt. Grabbing a flashlight, she slipped out of the car as quiet as possible and walked slowly towards the road. Flicking on the flashlight, she shined it on the road. Nothing but a bare road and fog meet her beam of light. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't hurt it. It got away. She let a small smile break onto her face. Rubbing her eyes, she turned back to the car. 'I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose, fire away, fire away,' Song carried from the car's open door, gradually going higher in pitch. Reaching the door, she was determined to turn off the annoying song, but she was distracted by rustling coming from trees a few feet from her.

She slipped on her sweatshirt, glancing into the foliage, contemplating checking it out. She assured herself this was a forest and there was going to be animals going about their business. She had a nice warm car and a nice warm bed waiting for her. 'Ricochet, take your aim, fire away, fire away.' Plus, she had to turn off that awful song. Another rustle caught her interest, closer this time. Sarah shifted on her feet and gathered her confidence. She shut the car door, clicked on the flashlight and ventured into the foggy forest in front of her. 'Shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am titanium!'

~O^O~

**So, no Jareth in this chapter. But don't worry, he will come in soon. Songs used was Baby by Justin Bieber and Titanium by David Guetta ft Sia. I thought Titanium would be a perfect song with the lyrics for Sarah if it wasn't TECHNO!**

**This chapter was inspired by my hike through Asylum Park. Creepy as hell. It is even next to an asylum. It was a foggy night and I realized why everyone feared a forest at night. Every sound makes you jump. If you don't know what I mean; go through a walk in a forest at night. **

**While we are on that, the last part of the chapter is dedicated my BFF Lindsey, who deals with my crazy writing ideas constantly as I deal with her crazy photographing ideas. Cause I'm her favorite model. She also held my hand throughout our whole adventure in the park.**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, my heart soared at your reviews. Many of you made me laugh and inspired me to write also. So, you have a special place in my heart. I would love to hear what you have to say and what you think should happen. (Should I name the chapters?)**

**Okay, I'll stop talking now. Review! Thank you very much! **


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't know why it took me so long to upload this chapter. I've had like it done for like a month and not uploaded it. I unfortunately missed the actually hunter's moon deadline which was October 29. But don't miss this months' full moon at November 28. It's a Beaver Moon or the _cooler_ name, Frost Moon. (Insert laughter) I crack myself up sometimes. Anyway, on we go!**

Hunter's Moon By GraySideofThings

Chapter 3

Sarah almost regretted her decision to go into the forest as soon as she foot stepped on the first stick. _Snap! _She should go back to the car and drive away. She shouldn't be hiking a night. But the rustling was just ahead of her. As she clicked on the flashlight, the beam only light up trees and underbrush. Sarah pursed her lips. Something was making that sound.

She hiked further into the underbrush, determined to find what was making all the noise. She supposed she was also curious. The proverb 'curiosity killed the cat' popped into her mind, making her laugh nervously. Was she the cat in this situation? She hoped not. She shook her head and focused again.

But the rustling and movement in the undergrowth had ceased. Sarah stopped, wondering if maybe she lost the thing she was following. Slowly panning the beam of light around, she searched for any sign of life. Nothing.

"How strange," she sighed softly, and decided picking her way back to her car would be a good idea. She quickly panned around the flashlight, just in case, and saw them. Peaking between the weeds was a huge pair of glowing yellow eyes. As her flashlight beam hit them directly on, they shown with an iridescent gleam.

As soon as her flashlight beam hit the eyes, they disappeared. Black fur soon took the eyes place and it too disappeared into the brush. Sarah stood there for a second, watching the weeds move with the path of the animal, before setting off after it.

Sarah followed the fast little creature through the underbrush. _What was it? Was that a dog?_ Sarah smiled. _That would be one strange dog ._Sarah paused, wondering if following a wild dog was a terribly smart idea.

The eyes popped out of the bush for a second and then back down. Sarah almost stopped dead in her tracks. Why would it do that? It was like it was watching and checking up on her; like it wanted her to follow it.

"That was weird," she muttered, shining her flashlight into the foliage. The dog's head popped up farther away and stared at her. Sarah stared back, clearing seeing a dog. The big black snot twitched slightly, momentary showing the sharps canines hidden behind its lips. The ears flickered under the breeze, its long fur knotting itself together. Its eyes watched her every twitch.

Watching the dog carefully, she experimentally stepped forward. The dog seemed to perk up, but remained where it was. Sarah slowly lifted the other foot in the air and placed it in front of the other. The dog's head disappeared into the long grass. Watching the grass, Sarah guessed it was moving fast. Sarah set off after it, speeding up to a quick jog. She followed it over logs and through the trees.

Sarah pushed herself to catch the dog, running faster. She was so close to catching it. Her hand reached out to the dog's long fur that was just out of reach_. Just a little more_, she thought. She pushed harder only to have her foot catch on a log. It seemed like it happened in slow motion. Her arms spread out to keep her balance but gravity is an impossible force. Sarah barely caught herself before she face planted the ground. She blinked rapidly as she tried to figure out what happened. Slowly, she got to her knees and looked up and gasped.

The field was beautiful. The tall grass waved in the soft breeze. The clearing was a perfect circle, all the edges covered by trees. In the middle, a tall tree stood. But the tree didn't have any leaves and was stripped of any bark. _It's dead_, Sarah's mind whispered softly. A few feet ahead of her, the dog sat, staring at her with its abnormally large eyes. Its mouth seemed to moved in a way Sara can only describe as a smile.

The field suddenly started moving all at once. More heads popped out, all dog looking in features. Sarah's heart stopped. The dog had led her to its pack; a giant,_ wild _dog pack. The dogs nearest to her pulled their mouths back into a snarl, letting their sharp canines show. Fear jolted her into motion. Slowly, if not to spook the many dogs, she stood up. At her higher height, she could see the whole entire field was filled with dogs. She took a step back and all the dogs nearest to her growled. She froze, too afraid of what the dogs could do to her.

The field suddenly filled with light. The cloudy skies had moved on, leaving an almost full moon. Unfortunately, instead of making her feel better, her fear increased. All the dogs' features shifted in the moonlight, becoming more and more familiar to Sarah. The things that had haunted her nightmares were now in the fields surrounding her. Big eyes, short stubby noses, wrinkled skin and bad, yellowing teeth took place of the dog features. Sarah mind refused to admit what was happening. She closed her eyes and chanted inside of her head _it's all a dream, it's all a dream, it's all a dream… _

The air around her sparked with electricity, zapping her with small shocks and giving her goose bumps. She swallowed hard and tried to calm herself. She knew exactly who she was dealing with. _If I can't see him, he can't be there and therefore he can't hurt me. _Of course, a childish belief was going to get rid of her monsters in the closet. She was Sarah Williams who beat the labyrinth. She surely didn't back down from anything; especially childhood villain. Mustering up all of her bravery, she opened her eyes. The small creatures weren't looking at her but at a figure in the middle of the field next to the tree. She barely noticed how the tree was alive, blooming with life. Her attention was fully on the figure. His back was to her, arms spread wide and head thrown back. The feathery white blonde locks, lit by the moon light, cascaded into shadows. Sarah could barely make out his features, but could see the sharp nose protruding from his face.

Sarah didn't even think. She was running through the forest before she even knew it. She had to get away. She didn't care where, just away from here. She knew who that was without even seeing his face. She knew what the creatures were in the field, just refused to admit it. She didn't know why they were here, but was determined to stay away. She heard sounds behind her that sounded like pursuit and they were gaining fast. Sarah tried to pick up speed but her body protested. She could hear them close behind, the leaves crunching under her feet. It sounded like they were on her heels. Sarah turned around to see her pursuers and instead ran into a soft body.

"Whoa, there, sweetheart. You're running as if the devil be on your heels," A kind voice talked over her head.

_If you only knew…_ Sarah stepped back from the body and looked up. A soft, kind, freckled face smiled down at her. The woman's brown hair was in pigtails with a cowboy hat covering the top part of her head. She looked around and saw she had came out in the same place she went in. Her car hood was open, but her car wasn't on like she left it. Behind her car, she could see a truck.

"What's happening over there, Rosy?" Another brunette came walking up from behind her car. She was beautiful, like a supermodel, not a blemish on her dark skin.

"Found her running out of these woods like her life depended on it," Rosy told the supermodel. Sarah remembered the horrible creatures in the forest and whipped around. She eyes the woods for any sign or sound of _them. _Nothing was there, almost like she had dreamt it. She looked back at the two women.

"Did you hear anything strange coming from the forest?" Sarah asked them.

The women looked at each other and then at her. Both shook their heads. One of them mentioned that she was shaking, but Sarah didn't hear. Her mind was going over all the possibilities. What was _he_ playing at? Why didn't his subjects catch her? Why didn't they hear the loud pursuit in the forest? Why now? Her thoughts were interrupted by the blanket being put on her shoulders. The supermodel was adjusting the blanket on her shoulders and talking.

"…the car's battery is dead. But doesn't worry, Artie's got it. She'll come back in the morning for your car. We'll take you into town now though, so you don't freeze to death out here."

Sarah was surprised. "Wait, my car battery is dead? But I wasn't gone that long. Maybe 20 minutes most. Car battery's don't die that fast."

The supermodel smiled and pulled her along. "Come along. It's 3 am and you're cold and tired. We'll get you home."

Sarah mouth dropped. "3am? No, no, it was midnight that last time I checked. I wasn't in there for 3 hours," Sarah pulled away from the supermodel. She backed up from them and neared the edge of the forest. A sudden howl pierced the night and made Sarah yelped in fright. The woman rushed forward and pulled her towards the truck.

As they neared the truck, Sarah noticed the woman digging in the truck. The supermodel called out to her and the woman turned around. If she thought the supermodel was beautiful, this woman was indescribable. Her long, wavy blonde hair was pulled into a half pony tail. Her silvery blue eyes reminded Sarah of the moon. Her skin was pure white under the moon light. She looked supernatural. She smiled at them.

"You guys ready?" She asked in a cheery voice. She looked at Sarah. "Hey, I'm Artie. I found your car next to the road and checked it out. Sorry about the battery. Don't worry about it, though. I'll bring my tow truck around tomorrow and fix it up for you."

Sarah quickly held out her hand and introduced herself. "I'm Sarah. Thank you for helping me with my car."

Artie grasped her hand and shook it. As soon as their hands touched, a small shock ran between them. Artie let out a laugh. "Shocking," she joked.

Sarah yawned softly and smiled sleepily. "Yeah," she spoke. She yawned again. Sarah couldn't understand why she was so tired. A fog slowly crept over her mind and another yawn came over her. She was vaguely aware of the arm around her shoulders, pushing her into the truck. She curled up on the seat and yawned again. Rosy's face was in front of her, pushing Sarah's hair out of her face. Sarah's eyes slowly closed, despite her attempts to keep them open.

Rosy's voice floated into her ear, "Go to sleep. You're safe. We've got you." Sarah smiled and let her eyes closed and sleep take over.

~O^O~

Artie's smile dropped from her face as soon as Sarah was asleep. She watched with calculating eyes. "Rosy, stay with her," her command cut through the silent night. Rosy nodded her head in understanding. Artie turned her head towards the other brunette. She was watching the forest intently. "Ana?"

A slight movement of Ana's head was the only sign that she heard. Artie walked up next to her.

"I long to go back, you know," Ana's voice was quiet, and filled with emotion.

An odd emotion flickered over Artie's face and she let out a soft sigh. "They were simpler times that's for sure. But we're needed here and now."

Ana nodded her head and looked up at the moon. "It will be only a few days now," she smiled. "The full moon always messes with people."

Artie frowned and changed the subject. "Is the car locked up?"Ana nodded. "Then let's go. I'm tired."

**I create the strangest ideas. Dead trees don't bloom. The especially don't bloom in fall. How silly am I? Review please. I promise I don't bite!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer- I don't like eggs... wait, I mean I don't own anything from the Labyrinth. But I do own 5 cats. **

**A/N - What has it been? 2 months? I can't remember. I can't say I particularly like this chapter. I had a really creepy scene in my head, and it didn't seem to come out right. You guys have to tell me what you think. I will take any suggestions for improvement. **

Hunter's Moon 4

By GraySideofThings

Fog. It was the first thing she noticed; the thick, gray blanket that shifted restlessly around her. It caressed her skin softly before moving on, leaving a light layer of moisture and goose bumps. It was so thick; she couldn't see more than five feet in front of her.

Tilting her head back, she scanned for a sign to where she was. High above her head, the sun desperately tried to push through the dense fog. Sarah would have guessed it to be high noon but couldn't be sure without a comparison.

Sarah deciding she was doing no good standing here, she started walking. As her first steps were taken, Sarah thought they sounded slightly muted, especially with all the leaves and sticks she was stepping on. But Sarah ignored it in favor of the silhouettes that were just beginning to show themselves. As steady steps brought her forward, she recognized them as trees. _I'm in a forest_, she mused. As she got closer, she could see that the trees were huge. Their circumference was colossal. So much so, Sarah reasoned she wouldn't be able to wrap her arms around it. Her eyes trailed up some of them, their trunks disappearing into the mists. _They must be ancient,_ she smiled softly, _If these trees could talk…_

Her feet continued to bring her further into the ancient forest. With a smile, she touched each tree she came across, reveling in the faint warmth each gave off. It always reminded her of the life all around her.

Being occupied with the trees, Sarah failed to notice the rustling that was slowing getting closer. Almost in a trance, she continued to float through the trees. One miss step snapped a stick and broke her out of her state. She lifted her foot tentatively and investigated. Sure enough, a wimpy looking twig sat in half on top of the decaying leaves. Frowning slightly, she made a move to step over it but froze mid step. There was crunching and it was not her own. Crunching of feet against the ground was loud, making it sound like hundreds were after her. She acted on instinct and bolted out of the area. She heard the crunching get even louder and faster as they pursed.

Some where in the back of her mind screamed. _Something is wrong_, it yelled. _Remember?! _Remember what? As she dodged a tree and small collection of bushes, she got the feeling that this wasn't real. That she wasn't in control. Is someone manipulating her? As she dodged another tree, a thought almost stopped her in her tracks. _Am I dreaming? _ She twisted her head to catch a glimpse of her pursuers. But there was nothing but fog. The crunching of the army was still there. She turned her head back around only to run into a body. Hands came down on her bare upper arms to stead her.

Sarah froze for a second before instantly apologizing. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to…" Her voice got stuck in her throat when she noticed two things. One, the heavy foot falls of her pursuers stopped. Two, the hands holding her were gloved in soft leather. And they were slowly rubbing her arms. Feeling her tense, the hands stopped their movement and tightened their hold on her arms. Sarah kept her eyes firmly on the chest in front of her, purposely ignoring the golden medallion hung a few inches lower. Long, white blonde locks fell around her face as hot breath caressed her neck. A brush of lips against her ear was followed by velvety words, "Hello Precious,"

And there was a flash of bright, white light that blinded her.

~O^O~

Sarah took a deep gasping breath as her eyes flew open. Her whole body was shaking and covered in a cold sweat.  
"Oh," a soft voice captured her attention and Sarah turned her head toward it. On the bed next to her sat a girl with a giant camera in her hand. She had an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry. I wanted- you are beautiful- such raw emotion- I thought-"

She was interrupted by a voice coming from the door. "Good, you're awake. And just in time for lunch." Sarah turned to see Rosy, cowboy hat and all, standing in the doorway.

~O^O~

_This is so surreal, _she thought as she watched the table around her. It turns out Artie was like a bed and breakfast for lonely, lost girls with nowhere to go. Six girls sat around her talking about everything like best friends. There was Artie, Ana, and Rosy from last night. Deep in conversation with Ana was a small Asian girl named Ally. Ally was an amazing drawer and loved animals. She was even interning at the local nature preserve. She had a soft voice and didn't say much, but seemed to explode with excitement when talking about animals.

There was Valerie, one of the most beautiful girls Sarah had ever seen. Her blonde locks were curled perfectly in place, opposed to Artie's that were natural and slightly messy. Her face was made up with an expert hand, probably her own. Her clothing was the newest fashion and was hardly appropriate for the cold October winds. Sarah wished Valerie's exterior matched her interior. The woman made sure Sarah knew she wasn't welcomed right away. The moment Sarah meet her, she knew they wouldn't be friends. _Just like high school_, she sighed.

Then there was the girl from this morning. Julie was an avid photographer and was pretty darn good at it. She has even had some of her work in galleries. Julie was still embarrassed from this morning even at Sarah's reassurance that it was ok. Julie explained her had the most interesting expression and it so raw; she had to take a picture.

Sarah sighed slightly and starting eating her lunch after Rosy shot her a look. The sandwich was good, but Sarah just couldn't stomach it. She chewed slowly, and let the conversation roll over her.

A sudden elbow in her side jolted her from her daydreams. She whipped her head toward Julie, who gave her the 'are you paying attention?' look. Sarah furrowed her eyebrows and slightly shook her head, confused.

"What do you think, Sarah?" Artie's voice addressed.

Sarah opened her mouth to respond and came up with nothing. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"Your car. I was going to work on today and have it for you for tomorrow if I find nothing too wrong with it," Artie explained.

Sarah smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks."

"Until then, you are more than welcomed to stay here," Artie gave her a smile. She glanced at the clock on the wall. "I've got to go. I promised John I would come in today. See you girls at diner," And she was out the door.

~O^O~

It was beautiful. The night sky seemed to come to life with a swirl over deep blues, blacks, and purples; each brush stoke looking like its own galaxy. Each star seemed to be its own diamond in the sky. The moon took up most of the sky, and if Sarah was being honest, most of the painting as well. The cream colored globe was full, its colors shifting with different angles. It seemed to almost have an iridescent gleam to it, like it was a bubble or made of glass. Sarah could see the shadows of craters hidden within its beauty.

Reaching up for the stars were enormous evergreens. Most of their bodies were covered in shadows, but the tops were light by the moon. Green and black swirled together to create the realistic shadows. The forest seemed to go on forever, stretching far into the background.

With a foot braced on a rock, a beautiful girl stood. Her blonde curls were half up and half down with a golden headband keeping it out of her face. In one hand was a golden bow with the string being pulled taunt by the other. Balanced perfectly in the bow was an arrow with a deadly sharp looking point. She was garbed in a white robe that only fell to her knees. On her shoulder sat a golden circular medallion. At her feet was a beautiful deer, staring off at what she was shooting at. The strength and power of the girl was awe-inspiring. She would be a perfect role model for a woman's movement.

"I love this painting," A voice startled Sarah. She turned to find Julie smiling at her. "Hey."

Sarah smiled. "Hey," she turned back to the painting. "Who is it? She's beautiful."

Julie tilted her head. "Artemis. It is a beautiful painting, especially with the moon."

"Yeah," Sarah was unsure what to say.

Julie torn her attention from the painting and focused on Sarah. "Hey, the girls and I are going to the park. I love to take pictures this time of year. The trees…they are the most beautiful colors. I can't describe it. You have to see it for yourself."

Sarah bit her lip and then shrugged her shoulders. She didn't have anything else to do today. "Sure."

Julie smiled. "Great!"

~O^O~

The drive to the city park was short, but slightly crowded in Ally's tiny car. Being squeezed in the back with Valarie didn't make Sarah feel any better. Sarah desperately tried not to touch her, but with so limited room, it was almost impossible. Any time Sarah even brushed against her, Valarie gave her a look.

Thankfully, the ride was soon over and Sarah clamored out of the miniature car. Everyone else seemed to want to get out of the claustrophobic car just as much as she did. Everyone expect Valarie, who got out with a grace of a princess. Sarah frowned as Valarie elegantly sauntered through the park, wishing she was that graceful.

Sarah turned her attention towards the actual park and was amazed. The ground wasn't green with grass as it should have been, but blanketed with colors of flames. The trees stuck out with startling contrast to the bright blue, cloudless sky. There were some many trees, each a different shade of orange, red or yellow, mixing together perfectly. Sarah could barely tell one tree from the next. The small river rolled over the rocks, creating the most peaceful noise. In the spots where the river was still, it reflected the tree line above it.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ally's soft voice murmured.

"Bewitching," Sarah agreed.

The snaps of a camera told them that Julie agreed. Ally shifted her bag on her shoulder, smiled and nodded at her. She picked a spot under one of the trees and brought out a sketch book. Sarah feeling slight awkward, started to explore the park.

Her feet carried where ever, though she was careful not to stray too far. She ended up at the edge of the river, staring down at the water. She was entranced by the watching the clear water run over the rocks and she bent over to let the water run over her fingers. It was freezing and Sarah snapped her hand back up. She was suddenly aware of the snapping sound and whipped her head around. A few feet from her, Julie was kneeling down with her camera hiding her face. She stopped taking pictures as soon as she realized Sarah was watching her.

"Sorry," Julie said with an apologetic smile. "But have I mentioned how good of a model you would be?"

"Once or twice," Sarah shrugged with a smile. "Why don't you take pictures of Valarie? I'm sure she would love to pose from you."

"Oh, she does. I'm pretty sure that's the only reason she comes along. But, she lacks emotion. You convey emotion so easily, it shows in pictures." Julie smiled and snapped another photo.

"Um…thanks?" Sarah answered awkwardly. She shift on her feet and started rubbing her palm.

"I think it's your eyes," Julie spoke absently-mindedly, focusing on the river. "They're so expressive."

Sarah was unsure what to say to her new friend and focused on her palm, which had suddenly become very itchy. As she itched it, something gave and Sarah watched in horror was she pulled a piece of blackened skin off her palm. Sarah glanced to see that she was rubbing in the middle of her right palm, right on the black spot. Where the blackened skin used to be, there was a silvery skin underneath. It was in the shape of waning crescent.

"What are you doing?" Julie's voice was closer that Sarah would have liked. Sarah's head popped up and she tried to hide her hand. But it was too late. Julie's eyes were focused on her hand. Slowly, Julie raised her head until their eyes met. The expression in her eyes was not what Sarah expected. The strangest flashes of knowing, understanding, fear, before settling on confusion. "What a strange spot," Julie commented carefully, eyeing her.

"Brother, sharpie," Sarah managed to croak out, completely freaked out by her reaction. A quick nod from Julie was all the confirmation she got before Julie took another picture. Sarah noticed that Julie's hands were cover in fingerless gloves. Sarah tilted her head. _That would be a brilliant idea to hide her spot._

"Would you look at that?" Julie voice was quiet. Sarah followed her line of sight and spotted a white, barn owl. "It's beautiful. Do you think I can take a picture without scaring it?" She asked Sarah.

But Sarah wasn't paying attention. Her eyes were glued to the owl, acutely aware that it was watching her right back. It's piercing eyes following her every skin went cold and she was too scared to move. Those eyes were the eyes of a predator; a hunter. Sarah glanced at Julie;_ I have to get her away. _Her eyes met the owl's eyes that were far too intelligent to be an animal; _far too intelligent to be human._ Her palm started another burn, like it was trying to tell her something. Sarah started to formulate a plan to get the girls to leave without her.

Julie quickly took rapid pictures of the owl, worried that it would try to fly away. Sarah watched as Julie quickly reviewed her pictures. Julie suddenly froze and her brow furrowed. She slowly raised her head towards the owl. She glanced back down at the screen.

Sarah was watching and stepped forward. "What is it?"

Julie's head snapped up, surprised that Sarah had gotten closer. "Oh, nothing," she offered a nervous smile, quickly changing the picture. "Why don't you go get the others and see if they are ready to go?"

Sarah nodded and walked off.

As soon as she was gone, Julie turned her attention back to the camera. Turning to the photo, she stared at the strange looking man sitting on the branch in place of the owl. She glanced up at the tree, only to see the owl gone. It shook her pretty bad, but she decided to forget about it. A press of a button later, and it was as if it never existed.

Spying a fox in a nearby bush, she quickly snapped a photo and went to look for the others, never bothering the review the shot.

~O^O~

**FelineGrace - Thank you for reviewing! I know I'm terrible at updating. Girls are trouble! Pfft! I don't know what you're talking about. ;)**

**Lylabeth 1/lylabeth 1(I assume you're the same person) - Thanks you for reviewing! Aw, thanks. I don't think that amazing of a writer (after all, I am a chemistry major), but if you think so, who am I to disagree? Yes, the native american name for hunter's moon is sanguine moon. I agree, my writing skills to pull readers in is not the best. And Chapter 2 isn't my favorite. Any suggestions? I open to all suggestions.**

**Thank you for reading and please review! I love hearing from you! **

**Gray **


End file.
